Fifteen-year-old Alex likes lashings of ultraviolence. He and his gang of friends rob, kill and rape their way through a nightmarish future, until the State puts a stop to his riotous excesses. But what will his re-education mean? A dystopian horror, a black comedy, an exploration of choice, A Clockwork Orange is also a work of exuberant invention which created a new language for its characters.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

It ends with the beginning. This legendary,
indie, cult-favorite series ends its tale with the story of the Poughkeepsie
brotherhood before the tattoo. Before the train station, before the church,
before a criminal empire there was a foster home and three teen boys who chose
each other as family, because the ones they were born into didn’t exist

Still in high school, Beckett is already laying the groundwork for a grander
life ahead, one where his brothers want for nothing and get some respect for
once. But even as he plans, Beckett must decide if he’s ready to make that
choice—diving in to a life that trades his chance at a future, his chance at
something as simple as first love with a girl named Candy Cox, for their chance
to find happiness.

Blake, Beckett, and Cole’s devotion to each other is forged by fists and the
driving need to belong somewhere, to do more than just survive this life.
Readers of the series know they each get there in the end, but before we count
smiles, we must first shed tears. These early days of the Poughkeepsie brotherhood
will play on your heartstrings before serrating them with a knife; they’ll lift
your soul with music, only to leave you with nothing but a desperate prayer for
hope.

And when you reach the end of the beginning, you’ll be ready to start the
series all over again.

Excerpt:

When
she ducked under the bleachers, he was a dick, right off the bat. His buzz was
wearing off, but he was still high and broken at the closeness of her. “You’re
missing your boyfriend during his lawn ballet.” He assumed a stance—douche
mixed with confrontational—that he knew stopped people. It set up his walls
real nice. With everyone.

Everyone
but her. She walked right up to him. She pushed him hard once, twice, until his
back hit one of the supports. And then she slapped him.

He
took the slap and rolled his eyes. “That all you got for me, pink princess?”

And
then she was kissing him. Oh, God. Kissing him and palming him with the same
ferociousness he felt. He grabbed the metal behind him to keep from attacking
her and nailing her right on the concrete floor littered with cigarettes and
chip bags.

She
pulled away and slapped him again, growling, “Fuck you, Beckett Taylor. Don’t
you ever do that to me again. I’m worth more than that, and you know it.” She
stepped back, leaving cold space and his heated erection between them.

He
swallowed, his pounding heart trying to beat some common sense into his brain
again. It wasn’t working. He let go of the bleachers and advanced. “You have
some fucking nerve. You’re the one up there prom-queening it with goddamn
Ryler.”

She
stood her ground as he came at her. And he knew he was intimidating. Shit,
full-grown men stepped aside when he was coming. But Candy raised her chin. He
was amazed at the fight in her, right there. He pulled her into a dip, just
like fucking Pyler had, except he did it like a man who wanted a woman and knew
what to do with her body. Candy needed to push him away; she needed to turn her
head.

Instead
she groaned and bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. He put his hand
between her legs and dragged it up to her breast, squeezing hard so she would
feel it through her coat. She sunk her nails into the skin at his neck. She was
a buried treasure. He was sure as fuck no one knew about this side of her. Only
he could get her panting like she was. He spanked her bottom once.

“Ow.”
She was shocked.

He
stopped kissing and looked her in the face as he spanked her again, more
forcefully this time.

Her
“Ow” was quieter, and the hunger in her eyes far deeper than her years.

Again
he spanked her. And this time she purred. Fucking purred. He began slow,
circular caresses over the denim that covered her ass. He was desperate to see
the red imprints from his hand.

“Fuck
it.” Beckett picked her up and set her back against the metal support he’d
tried to cling to before.

They
weren’t alone. Red tips of cigarettes glowed, gentle murmurs of illicit
behavior could be heard if you knew how to listen for trouble. Still, he held
her against the pole and mimicked the motions he was desperate to do with her.
He dropped his mouth to the zipper on her coat, which kept her safe from all
his intentions. He used his teeth to pull it down to her cleavage. He buried
his face, licking and nuzzling her sweet-smelling neck. He used his chin to
move material so he could access more of her chest. She smelled like goddamn
candy. His dick could pack gunpowder in a cannon it was so fucking hard.

After
a moment, the murmurs added up. Too many. He glanced around and noticed the
cigarettes being stubbed out. He let his prize slide down the metal gently. He
leaned down to kiss her lips, then her forehead, right under the edge of her
fuzzy hat before whispering, “Go. Cops are here. Go.”

And
then Candy, sweet-smelling, homework-doing Candy, stuck her hand in his
jacket’s hidden pocket and took the gun out. He pulled her hands and his gun
close to make sure the safety was on before letting her tuck it into her bra.

“Anything
else?” she asked.

And
then he slipped the rest of the merchandise in his left pocket into her right
one. She turned and left.

“And
don’t you ever talk to me again, Taylor. I have a boyfriend!” She stormed away
as the resource officer stepped up next to him.

“You
have a way with the ladies, son.”

“I’m
not your son.”

“That’s
the truth right there. ’Cause if you were, you’d be on that field kicking
footballs instead of selling at my school.”

When
Beckett was let off with a warning due to lack of evidence, his one thought was
of her. Candy was so perfect for him it hurt.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Miller “Buck” Butterson has been banging his way through life ever since a puck to the face fixed his messed up front teeth, and he was drafted into the NHL during his first year of college. After five years of deflecting goals on the ice and scoring them with puck bunnies across the Continental US and parts of Canada, Miller is ready for a girlfriend. A real girlfriend of the non-bunny variety. One he takes on dates and doesn’t jump into bed with after five seconds of conversation.Miller thinks he’s found that woman in his teammate’s sister. Except, unlike Alex Waters, center, team captain and all round nice guy—who happens to be dating his step-sister—Miller’s manwhore reputation is well earned, and not blown out of proportion by the media. Beyond that minor detail, Miller doesn’t know the first thing about having a girlfriend. But he’s determined to make it happen. What he doesn’t take into account is the amount of time and effort relationships require, or that constantly letting bunnies take selfies with him to post all over social media isn’t going to win him any points in the boyfriend department. Miller learns—not so quickly—that if he wants to make Sunshine “Sunny” Waters fall for him, he going to have to do a whole lot more than show her his stick skills in the bedroom.

MY REVIEW

I gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars for Miller "Buck" Butterson for being awesome. I wish he's got a better girl friend than Sunny, more like Violet, who cares so much for him... but that's me... Maybe you have have some other things to say...

Hmmm... I really got a mixed feeling about this. It's not that I don't like the story, but it's just that it's like there's nothing in it. Maybe I don't put it on the right words... English is not my mother tongue anyway...

OK... I warn you all, maybe there will be spoiler ahead!

Meet Buck, his real name is Miller, Violet's stepbrother from the first book of the series. After spending a few times together and lots texting and talking over the phone with Sunny or Sunshine, none other than Alex's sister and Alex is Violet's boyfriend (or now fiancé to be exact) and also Buck's team mate in Hockey pro, Buck decided that he wanted a relationship with Sunny, with whatever the complication and consequences.

Between season of games, or a pre-seasons, the athlete have free time. Some of them partying hard to spend the time, some of them try doing something good, such as volunteering at sport camp. Buck did both, partying with friends and then he went to a sport camp in Canada, where Sunny lives, because he wanted to spend some time with her too.

I don't know what exactly Sunny's feeling, but I don't she's being honest completely. She seemed to be just testing the water, if you know what I mean.

You know, there's a guy, a great guy coming at you and even falling for you, and because you're single, so nothing on the way, so why not, right? That kind of impression that I got from her. Then when there's something that she just didn't approved of, she just complained and doing nothing to get to know the situation or the problem is or even trying to work it out. She's just dragged old history of Buck and not even appreciate Buck's effort to solve the problem.

And then again added by lack of her own decision making, she heard suggestion a lot from her besties and her brother. She's an adult, she has to be better than that.

Of course in the end, eventually everything is in the place. It's very nice of Buck, to accept Sunny unconditionally. I guess Sunny just a lucky brat to have Buck :d

There a few things in the story that I don't even understand why they're there... for example the porno star neighbour, what's the deal? The whole drama with spider bite, poison ivy allergic, even with the hair removal cream...

Though there's also about Buck's plan to do after his time being a professional hockey player is up. Which I really think it's very nice.

Yeah... I guess the right words are the story is not touchy enough to be memorable.

With a famous NHL player for a step-brother, Violet Hall is well acquainted with the playboy reputation many hockey stars come with. She’s smart enough to steer clear of those hot, well-built boys with unparalleled stamina. That is until she meets the legendary team captain—Alex Waters.Violet isn’t interested in his pretty, beat-up face, or his rock-hard six-pack abs. But when Alex inadvertently obliterates Violet’s previous misapprehension regarding the inferior intellect of hockey players, he becomes more than just a hot body with a face to match.In what can only be considered a complete lapse in judgment, Violet finds out just how good Alex is with the hockey stick in his pants. But what starts out as a one-night stand, quickly turns into something more. Post-night of orgasmic magic, Alex starts to call, and text, and e-mail and send extravagant—and quirky—gifts, making him difficult to ignore, and even more difficult not to like.The problem is, the media portrays Alex as a total player, and Violet doesn’t want to be part of the game.

​EXCERPT
I pull my sweater over my head, not accounting for static, and my T-shirt sticks to the woolly outer-layer. Face covered with fabric, I scramble to pull the shirt into place. The silence at the table is telling. Once I wrestle free of the sweater, I’m met with a number of wide eyes focused on my chest. I look down. Right. My bra is visible through the pale pink cotton, and now everyone at this table, including Buck, has seen it unfiltered by the shirt.

Buck leans in and whispers, “Put the sweater back on.”

I play dumb. “Why?”

“Everyone can see—” He motions toward my chest without looking.

I wave him off. “It’s not that obvious.” It’s totally that obvious.

He shoots me one of his glares. It’s meant to be threatening, but it makes him look constipated. I leave the sweater off to irritate him. It’s effective. His face turns an interesting shade of red.

“I need another beer.” He slams his mug on the table and eyes me as he gets up and goes to the bar, despite the half-full pitcher of beer on the table.

I’m about to put the sweater on again when Waters turns to me.

“Hi, I’m Alex.” He’s all pretty smile and white teeth. They’re probably fake. Those eyes are something else, though, even if he is sporting the makings of a black eye. I try hard not to look directly at him, afraid I’ll be ensnared by his rugged, handsome face.

“I’m Violet.”

“I didn’t realize Butterson had a sister.”

Even his voice is familiar, satin smooth and deep. He takes a sip of his drink, leaving behind a milk mustache he quickly wipes away. It’s then I realize where I recognize him from: the milk advertisements. Sweet Lord, I’ve been jilling off to him. My mortification reaches new heights, causing me to say something more insane than usual.

“I’m his stepsister. He likes to keep me a secret since he wants to go all Ophelia on my ass.” My eyes widen at my terrible joke. Though, if he’s anything like Buck, he won’t get the reference.

“Butterson would make a crap nun, eh?”

I swear he’s made an accurate reference to Shakespeare. Stunned, I make direct eye contact. Or I try to. His eyes keep bouncing between my chest and my face, so that’s a challenge. Normally, I’d be put out by his blatant ogling, but I’ve asked for it with the sheer shirt and the ostentatious bra. I further my own embarrassment and his by cupping my breasts and squeezing. “They’re nice for real ones, huh?”

His eyes shoot to mine. Busted.

“I uh—I didn’t mean to—I wasn’t—”

This is one of the most entertaining interactions I’ve had with a member of the opposite sex in ages. I make a snicker-snort noise and look away.

Buck leans against the bar, talking to a girl whose skirt is so short it’s abundantly clear she’s not wearing underwear. I nudge Alex with my elbow. His arm is like a rock. “Check out Buck’s friend.”

The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Cooter-flasher leans forward and gives our table an even better view.

“Is that—am I looking at her beaver?”

Mid-swig, I choke on the mouthful of beer, sputtering and coughing. After I recover, I ask jokingly, “‘Beaver’? Are you Canadian or something?”

He’s silent for what seems like a long time. Or maybe it’s because I’m staring. Or the question may have stumped him.

My experiences with Buck—and the one hockey player I dated previously—have led me to the assertion that hockey players aren’t notoriously intelligent. I’m aware this isn’t a universal truth. But Buck certainly reinforces my perceived stereotype: he’s definitely not a rocket scientist. He’s not even a rocket scientist’s assistant. However, I’m almost positive Alex made a literary pun a moment ago. Waters could very well be an unexpected anomaly. I’m intrigued.

“Yeah, I’m Canadian.”

“Does everyone in Canada call pussies beavers? Like the Brits call them fannies?” I can’t believe I ask him this. I’m barely buzzed; otherwise, I’d blame it on drunkenness.

He blinks a few times. “Did you say ‘pussy’?”

It’s possible his helmet wasn’t up to code and he sustained a head injury during the fight. There’s a sweet bruise on the side of his chiseled jaw. His nose is crooked with a decent bump from what I imagine could be multiple breaks. It’s not ugly, though. It’s sexy, in an I-fuck-people-up way.

“No, I said ‘pussies,’ plural, as in more than one.” I’m making a complete ass out of myself.

To avoid saying something worse, I excuse myself so I can pretend to smoke. I grab my bag and sweater and leave the beer. Based on the crap coming out of my mouth, I don’t need to add any fuel to that fire.

Buck grabs my arm as I pass him. “Hey, what’s with you and Waters?”

Alex is shrugging into his jacket. Maybe he’s leaving. Too bad; he was fun to talk to and nice to look at.

I sigh with irritation. “It's common courtesy to strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you, or did you miss the rules of social etiquette in kindergarten?”

“Rules of what?”

“Never mind. What else am I supposed to do? Ignore him? I was being polite.” And Alex is entertaining.

“Yeah, well, I don’t know these guys that well yet and he’s got a rep. Be careful who you get friendly with.”

“I wasn’t giving him a handy under the table. We were talking. I’m going for a smoke.”

Leaving him with the Beave, I head for the door. The temperature has dropped in the past half hour, so I pull on my sweater. Finding my smokes, I pop one between my lips and search for my lighter. I can’t find it anywhere.

“Need a light?” I pull my head out of my purse to find Waters holding a pack of matches.

“Are you following me?”

He shrugs and gives me a grin that could obliterate my panties. If I were dumb enough to allow myself to be affected in such a way. I’m not. Mostly.

“I thought you might like some company.” He flips open the matchbook and tears one I purse the cigarette between my lips. Alex strikes the match and curves his palm to protect the flame. He watches while I inhale, the embers burning orange as I take a shallow drag and cough.

“Shit!” Tears spring to my eye as I eye toke the smoke. Swearing like a sailor, I cover my eye with my palm.

“You’ve got a dirty mouth, eh?”

“Only when I try and smoke with my eyeball,” I say between coughs.

Alex tosses the matches on a table and pats my back until I stop hacking up a lung.

“Butterson doesn’t seem too happy.”

Through the window I spot Buck and the Beave. She’s not pulling the selfie business, so he doesn’t seem to mind her hanging off his arm while he glares in our direction. He’s being a colossal douche tonight.

“Screw Buck.” I take a fake drag of my cigarette.

Dimples appear in Alex’s cheeks as I exhale a cloud of smoke and choke back another cough.

“Do you even smoke?”

I debate lying and decide against it. “Not really. I do it as a way to escape awkward social situations.”

“So you came out here to get away from me?”

“Not you in particular.”

His tongue peeks out to sweep across his bottom lip. He’s got a nice mouth, even with the split in the corner. Remembering the way he took out the Atlanta guy makes me warm all over. Thoughts such as these are bound to get me into trouble. Hockey players are bad news. Especially ones as hot as he is. He’s looking at me expectantly. Dammit. He must have asked a question. My mind is wandering like a squirrel on Red Bull.

“Sorry, what?” I flick the ash on my cigarette.

“You were reading during the game—what book?” He sounds genuinely curious and a little offended.

“Tom Jones. I have to finish it for my book club on Tuesday.”

Wow. Do I ever sound like a winner. He must have been watching me while he was in the time-out box.

“Fielding at a hockey game? Kind of cerebral with beer and violence, isn’t it?”

I blink as if I’ve been high beamed with a flashlight. Alex knows who wrote Tom Jones, and he’s used the word cerebral in the appropriate context. I was right; he did get my Shakespeare reference. Alex Waters has singlehandedly obliterated my misapprehension regarding the inferior intellect of hockey players—with one sentence. In doing so, he’s become infinitely hotter than he was five seconds ago.

“You’ve read Fielding?” I take a step closer. My voice is low, as if I’ve switched into phone-sex operator mode.

“I-I-I—”

It’s adorable. He’s wearing an expression I’m familiar with: panic merged with fear. I sport the same one when I inadvertently revealed my extreme nerdiness. Most nights I would much rather be at home curled up with a book or playing solitaire than out at a bar. Hence the excessive beer consumption and the fake smoking crutch.

“I think literacy is sexy,” I whisper.

“Me, too.” His dimples make an appearance.

I have one of those rare moments where my brain fritzes and I do something completely out of character. It’s so outside of my personal code of conduct that I’ll probably relive the incident over and over trying to figure out what flipped the switch. For the time being, I’m blaming the beers, jetlag, and his accurate literary references. I grab Waters by the shirt and pull his face to mine. His mouth is soft and warm. The stubble on his chin scratches my skin, and I like it. I shove my tongue into his mouth. Well, that’s not true. I slide it across his bottom lip, touching the barely healed split, and he parts for me. Soft, warm, and wet meet more soft, warm, and wet.

He tastes like chocolate and, more faintly, coffee liqueur. His hand runs a hot trail along my side, and he pulls me tight against him. He’s all hard edges and heat, and I can feel . . . holy . . . there’s a massive bulge pressed against my stomach. After far too short a time, he breaks the kiss, trailing his lips across my cheek to my ear.

“Do you want to get out of here?”

“Buck will kill you.”

“I can take him.”​

MY REVIEW

The story is super sweet and also super romantic.
Begins with how Violet Hall who's despised hockey player, eventhough her stepbrother is playing for a profeesional team.

When she needed to go to a hockey game to support her brother's new team, she met a hot hockey player at the after party. She couldn't resist him eventhough she's tried very hard. He's not just an average hockey player but a captain who's very famous with his playboy reputation more than her hairy stepbrohter.

For me, the best parts are the hillarious Violet, who is very cute and the hotness of Alex.

I don't know... maybe... maybe it's bacause of his superhero Super MC... haha! I can't even I try to imagine it... but I guess I just want to see a hockey captain once in my life... yeah, because living in a tropical country, it's no way I can meet an actually hockey player... ;-)

And after I googled more... I guess hockey players are adorable, they are huge but they are cuddling... aaahh... so sweet...

I love Violet, she's vey smart and the words are sharp..
And Alex, he's adorable, he just so sweet and sensitive, though kind of high temper in an adorable way.

This story is so adorable all the way... I gave it 4 out of 5 stars...

A beard-related dare and one hot-as-hell kiss changes everything.NFL center Ethan Dexter’s focus has always been on playing football and little else. Except when it comes to one particular woman. The lovely Fiona Mackenzie might not care about his fame, but she’s also never looked at him as anything more than one of her brother-in-law’s best friend. That ends now. Fi doesn’t know what to make of Dex. The bearded, tattooed, mountain of man-muscle looks more like a biker than a football player. Rumor has it he’s a virgin, but she finds that hard to believe. Because from the moment he decides to turn his quiet intensity on her she’s left weak at the knees and aching to see his famous control fully unleashed. Dex is looking for a forever girl, but they live vastly different lives in separate cities. Fi ought to guard her heart and walk away. But Dex has upped his game and is using all his considerable charm to convince Fi he's her forever man.Game On​

It's the third book of the series, I've read the first one and looking forward to read the second one, because... I guess Grey is more feisty... ;-)

Anyway... although the series supposed to be about the football player as the main character, as on this one is Ethan Dexter. I think the story is more on the heroine, Fiona Mackenzie. I think it's because Dexter is so reserved, too deep... sometimes it's hard to get pass of his wall...

Well, I guess I don't know what to say about the book, except that I really enjoy it. I want to give it 5 stars, but I settled on 4.5 stars instead. I think it's because I kind of not getting with the tittle, what's it the game and who does the plan?

Spoiler warning might be appropriate, though I don't want to talk about the story... You must all read it by yourself, because it's good and I'm sure you won't regret it...
I really want to share my feeling on Fiona's indecisiveness regarding of leaving her jobs and her habit of changing interest. I share her feeling, it's so me but unfortunately with not so much luck on the subject.

It's very good that Fiona has passion on design and build of wood furniture that actually makes money. But for me... I'm so undetermined, at one point I felt so in the comfort zone, so lazy to even start to do what I want to do.
That's why I'm so envy of Fiona, who's done her bit and have it as a reserved safety net when she needed to get out.
Even for her, it needs courage and bravery. I love her for that.

I always admire the heroine who know her dream and willing to make efforts to get it, to achieve it.
I want to have the same courage, the same fighting spirit to the things I want to do.
And the thing is... why not, right?

So, thank you so much Ms. Kristen Callihan for making such a great story. I love your works and I've become one of your big fans.

After five years, tragedy brings Hannah Casey back to Hurricane Creek to bury what’s left of her family. She’s flunking out of college, haunted by scandal, and the only person who cares is Sean Whitlow, an irresistible bad boy with a soft spot for her. The problem? He’s her dead sister’s ex.Sean doesn’t bleed red, he bleeds motor oil. During the week, he struggles to turn his auto repair shop into a profitable business. But when Saturday night rolls around, he’s the reigning stock-car king of the local race track. He doesn’t know how to lose–or how to walk away and leave Hannah alone with her grief.Between her grades and her wealthy family’s dark secrets, Hannah’s barely holding her life together. And the last thing Sean needs is to get tangled up with another Casey girl. As the attraction between them spins out of control, they’ll either find a love with no limits–or go up in flames.

I couldn't really made up my mind regarding to my liking to this story. It's not hat I hate it but I don't particularly love it either.

There are a few things... err... maybe a lot of things that I guess a little too much in this story, whether it's too coincidence or way too forced. For example, why is Hannah met Sean, I understand that it is a small city, but there must be some other people, right?

And it's not that there were attraction between them anyway... from Hannah sure, that he's her first crush, but it only looks like that Hannah threw herself his way and he's without thinking just accept. It's not that they have previous history together, it's with her sister, Sean has history, a completely different person, and his best friend, Gibb, came on judging her already?
While she didn't seem do anything when it was 5 years before.

I don't want to be cold hearted and being not understanding of her problem or sadness or disappointment or whatever she's in with the whole situation of her family, but it looks like that she didn't do anything to change the situation either... She just accepted but in the end complaining of her miserable life she thought she's in.

She complained of being forced to do what she didn't happy with but second her father died and her mother's in a comma, she become rebellious. Rebel to whom? Punishing her mother, who's in a comma, to a revenge? Seems immature to me and useless too.

I don't know what happened to her grandmother, maybe I missed it and I might also "missed" what was her grandmother wrong... that made her also seems not happy with her grandmother.

And then what's with her with being so secretive?

I don't know if Sean understood the situation of Hannah that I assume being a virgin or just didn't really care, but I don't get the idea why Hannah didn't come clean and Sean acknowledged the fact. I knew Hannah is being careful, a bit worry of pregnancy and have a story to hide, but ignorance from Sean of the reason why Hannah seemed not ready to have sex with him, just made them lack of chemistry or feeling to each other.

The story ends with Hannah's decision to stay living in Hurricane Creek despite of she lost her heritage to her parents' debt. Just like that she quit her education because she didn't like it, even though she's on a scholarship for that. Since she didn't have money anymore, she's got herself a job and started a new study. And then she and Sean become a couple after solving a misunderstanding between them.

Freshman Lianne Challice is known to millions of fans as Princess Vindi. But sometimes a silver screen sorceress just wants to hang up her wand, tell her manager to shove it, and become a normal college student. Too bad that’s harder than it looks.She’s never lived a normal life. She hasn’t been to school since kindergarten. And getting close to anyone is just too risky — the last boy she kissed sold the story to a British tabloid.But she can’t resist trying to get close to Daniel "DJ" Trevi, the hot, broody guy who spins tunes for hockey games in the arena. Something's haunting his dark eyes, and she needs to know more.DJ's genius is for expressing the mood of the crowd with a ten second song snippet. With just a click and a fade, he can spread hope, pathos or elation among six thousand screaming fans.Too bad his college career is about to experience the same quick fade-out as one of his songs. He can't get close to Lianne, and he can't tell her why. And the fact that she seems to like him at all? Incredible.

~* EXCERPT *~

Lianne Challice is chatting me up.

As I fetch the pizza I ordered from the window, I try to decide whether or not I’m going insane. Maybe all the stress in my life has finally cracked me.

But no. When I deposit the pie on a table, her big eyes cut from the jukebox over to me, before darting away again. She is so freaking cute and so feminine that it’s making me crazy. Her mouth is like a little red candy that I’m dying to taste. And who has teeth that straight? She intimidates the fuck out of me, to be honest.

I make another trip to the pizza counter for paper plates and napkins. Usually we just grab slices off the tray like animals. But tonight I’m trying to be classy. The idea makes me snicker to myself. As if. Impressing Lianne Challice isn’t something I’m capable of. But I’m having fun trying. And there hasn’t been a whole lot of fun in this year for me. So that’s something.

Years from now I’ll look back on this night and laugh. Guys, did I ever tell you about the time I chatted up a movie star? I mean, my father is still telling people about the time he sat one table over from Tina Fey at Nobu.

Lianne sneaks another glance in my direction and I beckon to her. “Have a slice?” If she wants one, now is the time. In a minute my brother and his teammates will fall on the pizza like seagulls.

“Thank you. I guess I should. I didn’t make it to the dining hall tonight.”

“Your enthusiasm for Capri’s pizza overwhelms me,” I tease. “Aren’t you a fan?”

She slides a slice onto a paper plate, considering the question. “Pizza is like a nineties hit. Pretty good, especially if that’s all there is and you’re hungry.”

She bites her bottom lip, and I realize I’d rather have that for dinner. “It’s okay. But it’s mostly just something you eat when you’re in a hurry or need to feed a crowd on the cheap.”

“Ah, I see,” I say when I can speak again. “The problem is that you haven’t had any great pizza. You’re a freshman, right? You don’t know all the glory that is Harkness pizza. Have you been to Gino’s Apizza?”

Lianne shakes her head. “I don’t think so.”

“She doesn’t think so,” I scoff. “Baby, if you’d had great pizza, you’d remember.” And now I sound like a real perv, but Lianne Challice is smiling at me, watching me with her big doe eyes, and I feel it like a drug. “They make everything from scratch. Even the sausage. We’ll go together, so I can prove my point.”

Annnd I think I just asked a movie star out on a date. Here comes the crash and burn.

First her eyes widen just a smidge. Then two pink spots appear on her face, one on either cheekbone. “Well, it would be a shame to live in this town and never know its true pizza greatness.”

I replay that sentence in my head and realize that she didn’t turn me down. “True,” I agree. “Do you think Thursday would be a night to experience pizza Nirvana?” I’m overselling the hell out of Gino’s now, but it’s working for me.

She gives me a serious frown, and I’m hoping she’s not busy on Thursday. Because I have back-to-back hockey games to DJ on Friday and Saturday. “Thursday it is. I shall prepare to be amazed.”

~* MY REVIEW *~

I think this story is inspired by Emma Watson for being Hermione Granger in the blockbuster movie series Harry Potter, who when to Brown University and Oxfort University. I imagined it must be hard for ther to convince people that she's actually have the ability to finish her degree. Also because of her small feature, I also cannot stop picturing Emma Watson as Lianne Challice.

So, as a famous actress who stared as Princess Vindi, Lianne Challice has difficulty to adapt with her college life because of her fame. It's quite an effort to show the other student that she earn her way to be accepted in the college because of her effort not because of her fame.

She's so happy when she met Daniel Trevi or DJ as everybody called him, since he seemed not really care or notice that she's famous. They started to have a relationship, although at the same time DJ was having his own problem with the accusation of sexual harashment to another student. He become very stressed because of the situation looks like doesn't have a way out.

His problem reminds me a lot to the new Lady Gaga's song, Til It Happens to You, though it's the other way around. When the sexual encounter of both willing but in the end turned out to become as if it's a sexual harashment.

Well, for me... the story kinds of flat.
There are some ups and downs on both Lianne and DJ. Lianne's past history, childhood, famous father, uncaring mother, lost contact to her siblings and her manager's rudeness. And also DJ's family, his relationship with his family, who's not blood related because he's adopted. His guilty feeling because of the problem he's in and the dissapointment he thought he made to his family.

Most of the story is about the relationship of Lianne and DJ to each other with their family and friends.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super-elite, top secret, family-run business.Qualifications: High intelligence, rock-hard body, military background.Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the U.S. government can’t...

The enigmatic Hancock has been both opponent and ally to the KGI teams for as long as they've known him. Always working a deep game, Hancock's true allegiance has never been apparent, but one thing is for certain—he never lets anything get in the way of duty.But now, his absolute belief in the primacy of his ultimate goal is challenged by a captive he's been ordered to guard, no matter how much she suffers in her prison. She's the only woman who's ever managed to penetrate the rigid walls surrounding his icy heart, but will he allow his perplexing feelings for the beautiful victim to destroy a mission he's spent years working to complete or will he be forced to sacrifice her for “the greater good.”

~* MY REVIEW *~

Okay, I'll tell you, this one is going to be tough, because 2 stars for the story is me being generous and because there a lot of things that I don't like about the story.

I know I shouldn't... hell... I don't know what I shouldn't do anyway, I just want to point out that even though I was being offered to review the book in exchange with the ARC and even more with I missed the date line so far... I guess I couldn't say otherwise than I don't like the story at all.

Let me review what I don't like about it and you may all blame me on this if you have other opinion to share... I won't mind at all.

First, I don't like the background story.

It's about the New Era or I guess it's ISIS in the real life. It's a heart breaking to read news about ISIS and their ugliness. I also knew there's a particular volunteer who was being captured by them and finally died in their hands. I hate picturing those sad circumstances while reading the story.

Second, I don't like the narration.

I know it's the tenth book of the series, I shouldn't jump to read it before read the previous ones, but it supposed to be a stand alone and I'm curious to read a Maya Bank's book... but...

There are so many reference of previous stories and they go on and on so many times. It's left me to wonder what it's all about, because sometimes I just don't get it .

Also, the author tends to broach the story with side information which sometimes boring and repetitive.

Third, I hate the sex scene.

I've read many romance books, with explicit sex scene. I've read BDSM and honestly never enjoy one, but until now, never hate one before. The sex scene in this story I guess it's out of place, it's degrading woman, specially in this case Honor with her condition and situation. It's just like watching a porno without any sexy part on it.

Fourth, I hate the ending.

I know it's supposed to be a happy ending with the bad guys are all dead, but what about it's so hard to nail the bad guy and tooks years to accomplish a mission, but then just like that the bad guy is finish? Then due to a misunderstanding and guilty feeling, the hero just went sulking and locked himself in his room? Halllloooo... He's supposed to be tough, took the consequences and moved on with this life.

But it's should be a happy ending, right? So, with a couple of words, every problems are solved and all is good, then every body live happily ever after.

Okay, I admit, I don't know what to expect with this one. It's bad enough that it's hard for me to keep reading because of it's background story.

So, I'm sorry I can't enjoy it and I'm sorry it's just a 2 out of 5 stars story for me.